1 “ Now these are the Laws which you are to give them.

“Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.

2 I f you buy a Hebrew servant, he will work for six years. In the seventh year he will go free, paying nothing.

“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything.

3 I f he comes alone, he will leave by himself. If he is married, then his wife will leave with him.

If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 I f his owner gives him a wife and she gives birth to his sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her owner, and he will leave by himself.

If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

5 B ut if the servant says, ‘I love my owner, my wife and my children; I do not care to go free,’

But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’

6 t hen his owner will bring him to the judges. And he will bring him to the door or the side of the door. There his owner will make a hole in his ear with a sharp object. And he will serve him all his life.

then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

7 “ If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she is not to go free as the male servants do.

“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.

8 I f she does not please her owner who has taken her for himself, he will take pay for her to be set free. He does not have the right to sell her to a strange people, because he has not been fair to her.

If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

9 I f he takes her for his son, he will act toward her as with a daughter.

If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter.

10 I f he marries again, her food, clothing and marriage rights are to stay the same.

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights.

11 A nd if he will not do these three things for her, then she may go free, without paying any money. Laws about Fighting and Killing

If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

12 “ Whoever hits a man so that he dies will be put to death.

“One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

13 B ut if he did not plan to hurt him, but God allowed it to happen, then I will give you a place where he may run to be safe.

but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.

14 B ut if a man wants to hurt his neighbor and he plans to kill him, then you take him away from My altar and put him to death.

If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

15 “ Whoever hits his father or his mother will be put to death.

“Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

16 “ Whoever steals a man and sells him, or keeps him for himself, will be put to death.

“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17 W hoever curses his father or his mother will be put to death.

“Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 “ When men argue and one hits the other with a stone or with his hand, and he does not die but has to stay in bed because of it,

“If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed;

19 t hen if he gets up and walks around outside using his walking stick, the one who hit him will not be punished. He will only pay for the loss of his time. And he will take care of him until he is healed.

if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.

20 “ When a man hits his male or female servant with a stick so that he or she dies, he will be punished.

“If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

21 B ut if he or she lives a day or two, he will not be punished, for his servant belongs to him.

Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

22 “ If men fight with each other and hit a woman who is going to have a child so that she loses her baby but no other hurt comes to her, he must pay whatever the woman’s husband says he must, as agreed upon by the judges.

“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.

23 B ut if there is other hurt also, then it is life for life,

But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life,

24 e ye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 b urn for burn, cut for cut, sore for sore.

burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.

26 “ If a man hits the eye of his male or female servant and destroys it, he will let the person go free because of the eye.

“If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

27 I f he knocks out a tooth of his man or woman servant, he will let the person go free because of the tooth. Laws about Owning Animals

If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

28 “ When a bull kills a man or a woman with its horns, the bull will be killed with stones. And its flesh will not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be punished.

“If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.

29 B ut if a bull has tried to kill with its horns before, and the owner has been told but does not keep him shut up, and the bull kills a man or a woman, the bull will be killed with stones and the owner will be put to death.

But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death.

30 B ut if he is allowed to pay for his life, then he will pay whatever is asked of him.

If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him.

31 I f the bull kills a son or a daughter, it will be punished by the same law.

Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

32 I f the bull kills a male or female servant, the bull’s owner will give the servant’s owner thirty pieces of silver. And the bull will be killed with stones.

If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned.

33 “ When a man leaves a deep hole open, or digs a deep hole and does not cover it, and a bull or donkey falls into it,

“If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn’t cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it,

34 t he owner of the hole will pay for the loss. He will give money to the animal’s owner. And the dead animal will become his.

the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his.

35 “ If one man’s bull hurts another’s so that it dies, they will sell the live bull and divide the price so they will each have the same. And they will divide the dead bull.

“If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal.

36 O r if it is known that the bull has tried to kill with its horns in the past, but its owner has not kept it shut up, he will pay bull for bull. And the dead animal will become his.

Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.